Building a Tasmania Our Young People Don't Have to Leave

Imagine being 16 years old, sitting in a classroom and being asked what you want to do with your life.

You know what your parents do.You know what your teachers do.Perhaps you know a nurse, builder or accountant.

But what about the thousands of careers you have never encountered? How can you dream of becoming something you don't even know exists?

This is one of Tasmania's great challenges.

It is not simply about education. It is about our economy, our future workforce and whether young people see Tasmania as somewhere to build their lives.

The research is revealing.

A 2025 OECD study involving 690,000 teenagers found that 39 per cent were uncertain about their career expectations at age 15. Fewer than half had experienced direct contact with employers through workplace visits, career fairs or placements.

One in three believed school had not taught them things useful for employment.

We are asking young people to make decisions about their futures without showing them what those futures might look like.

And opportunity is not distributed equally.

The OECD found that social background can influence educational ambitions more strongly than academic achievement. Talented children from disadvantaged families may aim lower than less academically successful students from wealthier households.

A child's family income should never determine the size of their ambition.

We also need to stop treating university as the ultimate measure of educational success. University is an excellent choice, but so are TAFE, apprenticeships, traineeships and direct employment. An apprentice electrician might eventually employ twenty people. A hospitality trainee might become a celebrated chef. A young person studying technology might establish a business serving international customers.

Every pathway deserves respect and suitable Government investment.

Tasmania has encouraging foundations. National vocational education figures for 2025 show that 10.9 per cent of Tasmanian school-aged VET students were undertaking school-based apprenticeships or traineeships, compared with 7.2 per cent nationally.

But qualifications are only the beginning.

Can young people find their first job? Can they progress professionally? Can they afford a home? Can they see a future here? Tasmanian Government population research reported a net migration loss of 2,720 people aged 25 to 44 during 2023–24, identifying meaningful employment opportunities as an important reason people leave.

We cannot keep educating talent for someone else's economy.

Yet nor can we expect young people to stay simply because Tasmania is home. We must give them reasons to stay.

Imagine every Tasmanian student visiting workplaces, meeting employers and discovering industries they never knew existed. A future engineer visiting a manufacturer. An aspiring scientist meeting a marine researcher. A creative student discovering the commercial possibilities of design. Programs such as the Beacon Foundation's High Impact Programs already demonstrate the value of connecting students with employers. Sometimes one conversation can change a life.

We need stronger partnerships between schools, TasTAFE, universities and businesses, particularly small businesses that need support to train inexperienced workers. And we must measure success beyond school completion and university enrolments.

How many young people transition into employment? How many continue learning? How many establish careers and businesses here?

Young Tasmanians should absolutely explore the world. But leaving should be an adventure, not an economic necessity. Our challenge is not to persuade young people to settle for Tasmania. It is to build a Tasmania where they do not have to settle.

Because the greatest tragedy is not that our young people dream of bigger things.

It is that too many believe they must leave Tasmania to find them.